Lost At Sea
by Bellajuku
Summary: Aiichirou is lost, hopeless and alone in the deep dark sea. When he finds Captain Matsuoka, a beautiful man he can only watch from afar, he can't help but to pin his hope for companionship to him. They meet, but is Captain Matsuoka the man he'd imagined him to be, or is his sudden kindness a ploy to win his favor? Aiichirou knows his love might be misplaced, and yet...
1. Prelude

_**AN:**_

_**This is my first story written for Free, but I love Rintori and I've been thinking about a mermaid/pirate AU since I first watched the anime. I only have one or two chapters of this story written, but I have the entire thing planned out, so it shouldn't take terribly long to complete. **_

_**This first chapter is more of an intro, just to introduce Aiichirou and explain the Mer a bit. I hope you guys enjoy, feel free to leave a review~**_

}{

He never used to be so lonely.

That wasn't true, not by a long shot. It couldn't be true; his situation hadn't changed, so how could it have gotten _worse_?

_Easy_, his mind whispered, part of a never ending stream of subconscious chatter that eased the silence around him, _The longer you're alone, the more lonely you become._

Aiichirou wasn't sure how long he'd been alone... His whole life certainly, but how long was that? He didn't know, couldn't even begin to guess. He had no concept of time beyond the rising and setting of the sun, the push and pull of the tide. He had nowhere to be though and nothing to do, so really, it didn't matter.

Except that it was starting to feel like a _very_ long time.

Sometimes Aiichirou tried keeping count of the days as they passed. He'd stay near the surface and watch as the sky turned grey, then pink, then orange, then blue, before reversing back to black. That was one. One day. One day closer to... what? He didn't know.

He could never keep it up for long. The farthest he'd ever made it was fifteen. Fifteen days of swimming, in no particular direction, maybe even in circles, with no end in sight. He'd had to stop; the counting made him sick. After all, how many days had passed before he'd even thought to count? Thousands maybe. How many days would pass until something, _anything _happened? Maybe thousands more.

Or maybe nothing would ever happened. Maybe this was his existence, floating freely for all eternity with no where to go, nothing to do, no purpose or direction, no _companionship_ to ease his time.

He knew there were others like him. He'd seen them, sightings so few and far between that by the time he saw the next one, he'd begun to think he'd imagined the one before them.

They were real though, with arms and hands and fingers like his. Their stomachs, their backs, they were all the same. Their tails were different, in color and length, but they were close enough.

Aiichirou had never seen his own face, but when he looked at the other Mer, he saw himself looking back.

Whenever they crossed paths he felt a pull, a powerful desire to connect that was both exhilarating and suffocating. The pure hope that enveloped him at each sighting pushed tears from his eyes, made his throat feel raw.

They would hardly look at him.

Aiichirou _knew _he could speak. He didn't know how or why he'd learned the language that lived inside him, but it was there. There were so many words trapped inside of his head; words he knew the meaning of but didn't quite understand, words he had never spoken and didn't remember learning, but that itched at the back of his throat, begging to be uttered.

They came out garbled, distorted by the black water that filled his mouth every time he opened it_, _but he was sure the others understood him. They looked at him and looked away, shook their heads as he pleaded for a response, an acknowledgment, a _word._ They brushed him off as he grabbed their hands, their arms, whatever he could reach.

_Please hear me!_

With blank, shuttered faces, sometimes painted with freezing scowls, they paid him no more mind than the fish did. They floated past with little effort, unblinking and uncaring until they were long out of his sight, never to be seen again.

Aiichirou didn't want to be like them, void of emotion and purpose. Their eyes scared him as well; they were milky white and accustomed to the darkness of the deep water they favored, probably blind in the light of the sun. It was more than enough motivation to keep him venturing to the surface, even if it seemed pointless. He wouldn't, _couldn't _become that.

A Mer creature's only true desire is to hoard treasure. Even the floating almost-corpses Aiichirou had encountered were laden with whatever jewels and ornaments they could find. The trouble with deep water though was that not a lot of treasure made it out that far. Usually it was dropped into the sea near ports by silly girls or careless merchants. There, it was either buried in the sand or snatched up by whatever Mer happened to see it first. Very few pieces managed to drift out to sea and even fewer were lost on open water.

Still, that didn't stop the deep water creatures from searching, staying at the deepest depths, hunting endlessly through the sand for a spark of gem, a glint of gold, anything to slake their need.

Aiichirou himself had meager adornments; a few gems tangled in his hair, silver necklaces that wound around his neck and drifted behind him. He'd found bangles too, thin ones that sometimes slipped over his small hands.

He didn't really mind though; he'd found them all by chance, had never in his life _searched_ for jewelry. It was just that when he found them... he couldn't bring himself to leave them behind.

After all, they were all special to someone. Every piece he wore had once belonged to someone, given as a gift from a friend or a lover or even just a gift to themselves. They had made someone happy, no matter how small, and they had probably made someone sad too, when they had been lost. He couldn't stand it, to see something that had once been cherished left to tarnish at the bottom of the sea, lost forever in the darkness.

He couldn't stand to see them left alone.

So he gathered them up and found a place for them on his own body, a new home to adorn until... Until whatever happened, _happened_.

}{

_**Thanks for reading~ **_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN-**

_**So this is the first full chapter, I hope you guys enjoy~**_

}{

Aiichirou shivered as he allowed himself to sink gently, avoiding the sudden stillness above him. The ocean wasn't particularly cold- in fact it was warmer than usual- but the sudden calmness that had descended felt as if a storm might be approaching and Aiichirou wanted nothing to do with it.

Storms were terrifying, even underwater; the angry roiling of the waves, the current that tossed him about so easily... it was horrifying to have so little control. Only once had he dared to look a storm in the face and never again did he plan to; the sky had been as black as the ocean beneath him, flashing with bright, splintering light and a horrible cracking sound like the clouds themselves were breaking. That had been more than enough to send him trembling below the waves.

Now he resigned himself to floating well out of reach of any storm that might spawn, rolling this way and that in the gentle current. The motion calmed him, lulled him, made him want to sleep.

He was seconds away from drifting off when something cause his eye. It was a glimmer, a barely-there reflection of the weak light that filtered from above. He wanted to ignore it, close his eyes and return to the sweet lassitude that had almost enveloped him seconds before, but something in him refused to let go. Every time he closed his eyes they'd slide open an instant later, only to see the strange object growing closer...

...and closer

...and closer

...and _closer_

Whip-fast, Aiichirou's tail fluctuated, sending him rocketing towards his target. He rose up to meet it and gathered the trinket into his cupped palms, bringing it down to eye level and peering through his fingers so it couldn't float away.

It was a ring, large and heavy, probably a man's. The gold was dark and weathered but there was a fat, square cut ruby set into the top that sparkled even in the murky light.

It was unlike anything Aiichirou had ever found before; it wasn't pretty or delicate, thin or fair... It was solid and sturdy and red, so _red _and-

He hadn't found it on the ocean floor.

He'd found it floating _down _from the surface which meant...

Without a second thought Aiichirou was hurtling upwards, cutting through the water with all his strength, suddenly excited at the thought of what he might find above. After all, the ring had to have come from _somewhere_ and last time Aiichirou had checked, there was nothing above him but the sun and moon. Something had to be _different._

He broke through the waves and took a gulp of air through his mouth, highly conscious of his breath for a moment until his body remembered how to process oxygen from air rather than water.

Confusion took over as he appraised his surroundings for the first time, finding nothing but open waters and clear sky. He glanced back and forth along the horizon, searching hopelessly for any sign of disruption.

It was a muffled shout that finally drew Aiichirou's attention behind him. Several in fact; listening intently, Aiichirou could barely hear voices over the never ending churning of the waves.

After a few seconds of disbelief, Aiichirou swung around only to come face to face with a wall.

He stared, dumbstruck, until his body began to float backwards of it's own accord, allowing him a better view.

It was a ship. A _massive _ship; it's dark wet wood rose up threateningly against the gunmetal sky and for a moment, Aiichirou was frozen, wondering if it might topple over onto him.

When it proved stable he swam a bit closer, ran his hand along the rough wood and stared. The side of it was lined with hundreds of portholes going all the way up, getting smaller and smaller on the way. Above that, hundreds of feet away, were great white sails, tattered in places by the battering wind.

Between the sails and the portholes was the deck and around that was a railing and behind that was _oh_-

A man.

He looked small from so far away, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, shoulders hunched up and head slung between them. Aiichirou could barely make out his features but even from a distance he could see that they were sharp and angular. Everything from his eyes, to his nose, to his mouth and jaw had a hard set to it, chiseled and... angry... a little bit scary. His hair, which hung out from a large black hat, was dark burgundy red.

He was beautiful.

He was the most beautiful creature Aiichirou had ever seen.

The thought startled Aiichirou, prompted him to sink back beneath the water until only his eyes remained above it, peering up at the stranger so far above him.

The anger didn't detract from his features; he was still handsome, even with a snarl. It was frightening but also... thrilling? That had to be it, or else why was his heart stuttering? Aiichirou wanted to know what had happened to leave him looking so aggravated.

_The ring!_

He'd almost forgotten. He squeezed it gently, letting the hard corner of the gem dig into his palm.

The man must have dropped it into the water and was looking for it, that would explain why he was so upset.

_He'll be so happy when I return it. _

The thought made him smile in a way that hoarding treasure never had. This was what he'd always wanted after all; to return the precious things he carried with him to the ones who loved them the most.

Aiichirou swam out a bit farther, trying to put himself in the man's line of sight. He was so far away though and the water was churning with the passage of the ship, making it difficult to stay in one place.

He took a deep, steadying breath to calm himself and wracked his mind for the words he so seldom had a chance to use.

"e-EXCu s e MEe-"

He flinched at the sound of his of his own shattered voice and ducked down below the waves, face burning with shame.

Underwater, his voice had sounded garbled but round, with substance and presence, _audible. _Above the waves his voice had been thin and breathy, catching in his throat and coming out pained and unintelligible.

He bit his lip and felt the ring in his palm. Maybe, if he practiced, it would get stronger. After all, he'd never said a word on the surface before, maybe it was like his breathing; different above the water than beneath. That made sense, or at least, he hoped it did.

Determined to try again, Aiichirou resurfaced, breathing steadily, feeling the dry air sliding through his parted lips. He whispered the words to himself, gently, quietly, but stronger each time. Finally, he felt he might be able to manage a tone that could be heard above the waves.

He smiled, an instinctive expression he'd seldom had cause to display before now. It felt strange, tight in his jaw, but wonderful at the same time.

When he looked up, determined to speak to the man who had inspired such a feeling, the smile slipped from his face.

He was gone.

Disappointment hit him like a riptide, sudden and uncontrollable. The range of emotions he'd experienced in the preceding few minutes was greater than anything he'd ever felt before. It had been exhilarating at the time, but now that it was over he was left with a sudden, heavy exhaustion. He felt the loss acutely, as if he'd been injured, as if he'd believed for his whole life that he would speak to that man and that he would _speak back. _He would speak back and he would end the loneliness.

To form such a belief in a matter of minutes was silly, childish. Aiichirou scolded himself sternly, shaking his head at his own stupidity.

It had just been so _long _since he'd felt such hope...

Bitter disappointment sunk into Aiichirou's stomach as he slipped the ring, to big for his own slim fingers, onto one of his necklaces.

Hot, frustrated tears escaped from his eyes, gone in an instant as they mixed with the ocean, just a few more drops of salt water.

}{

Aiichirou woke with a start, spiraling onto his back to face surface and the sky above it, pale blue and distorted by the water.

Thoughts of the previous day drifted through his consciousness as he stared upwards, wondering if he'd dreamt the entire thing. It certainly _felt _like a dream, the specifics of the encounter slippery and intangible. There had been a ship and a man, with red hair and a cutting expression. There had been a ring...

Slowly, Aiichirou slid his fingers down the length of one if his necklaces until he reached the end. There, without so much as glancing down, he felt the ring, as solid and real as it had been the day before.

The excitement he had felt had fizzled into a dull sort of sadness that made it difficult to float. His body kept trying to sink, dragging him gently lower until he mustered the energy to flick his tail, tread his arms, raise himself up just a few precious inches.

He couldn't stop thinking about the man. His image flickered dauntingly behind his eyelids when he shut them against the sun. It was pointless to dwell on though; just another near-miss, another chance at contact lost. He hadn't even made _eye-contact._

But his heart ached for the memory. He was a _human, _not just another Mer; maybe if he'd caught his attention, he would have known what to do. Maybe he would have spoken back. Maybe he would have had a name.

The thought motivated a slightly stronger kick of his tail and he glided backwards through the water, never taking his eyes off of the surface.

He had looked so beautiful too, even from far away. He had been flushed with color and emotion and _life_. He looked nothing like the despairing creatures Aiichirou was used to seeing.

Warmth swelled in his chest at the memory and his lip stung as he bit it gently. It was strange and he stopped right away, not sure why he had done it in the first pace.

The man had seemed angry and foreboding, but that was so much better than _nothing, _so much more interesting than blankness and apathy. It was so much better than the bleakness he saw in his own kind.

Suddenly, he found himself wondering if that was what _he _looked like; grey and sad and lost. That's what he felt like.

How horrible it would be, to feel like that forever. How entirely possible it was that he would.

But that wasn't how he'd felt the night before.

No, the previous night, gazing up at a man he hadn't even met, he'd felt bright and warm, practically luminous. He'd felt like the moon, glowing and beautiful, all because of the light the sun gave to it.

_Oh..._

Cheeks warm, Aiichirou spun onto his stomach, feeling once again silly at his own feelings. In truth, the encounter had been nothing so dramatic.

Still, it didn't hurt to imagine.

Actually, it felt _really good _to imagine, better than he'd felt in ages. Maybe that was because what he was imagining didn't seem all that impossible. The man hadn't _ignored_ him, he just hadn'tseen him.

Maybe if he _did_...

Aiichirou was biting his lip again and he shook his head as he released it, confused by his new habit. He wanted to feel like this _all _the time though, like he had something to look forward too.

He wanted to see the man again.

The desire surfaced suddenly, overwhelmingly, but Aiichirou did his best to tamp it down. It was pointless, as the ship was probably long gone and it wasn't just the ship moving; Aiichirou had doubtlessly drifted in his sleep.

Even so...

Giving a quick shake to loosen his muscles he swung his body upwards, aiming for the surface.

Eyes closed, Aiichirou allowed his head to break through the waves, not yet daring to look and risk the disappointment of seeing nothing. It was seconds before he found the courage to open his eyes and he did so slowly, staring down at the water before him.

Aiichirou swiveled this way and that, frowning deeply at the open sea.

_It was his own fault, for getting excited. He knew better than that..._

He was about to sink back below the waves, content himself to drift aimlessly once more, when a speck on the horizon caught his eye.

_That has to be it..._

It was so far though, barely even visible... farther than Aiichirou had ever swum in one burst before. Then again, he'd never wanted to _go _somewhere before.

He was swimming before he'd even realized he'd made up his mind.

}{

**_Thank you for reading, please review~_**


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